Maggie James is a British author who lives in the north east of England. She writes psychological suspense novels and excels at delving into the dark nature and psychological traits of her characters. When you started writing, what (if any) mistakes did you make that might have hindered your writing career? Ah, hindsight, such a…
Category: Novels
‘Peril at End House’ by Agatha Christie
Peril at End House (Audiobook) When a young woman recounts a series of apparent mishaps, Hercule Poirot, holidaying in Cornwall, is intrigued. Along with his friend Hastings, he sets out to investigate what he believes to be a threat to the woman’s life. But how do you solve a murder that hasn’t been committed? I…
Characters, copper, Crime, design, detective, Editing, murder, mystery, Novels, Review, Thriller, Writing
‘London Large: Blood on the Streets’ by G & R Robson
London Large: Blood on the Streets Top cop DI Harry Hawkins finds himself stuck in the middle of on an international gang war in central London, but his past and the media conspire to get in the way of catching the bad guys. With a possible conspiracy in the offing and a level of violence…
‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ by Mark Twain
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Audio Book) Following his adventures with Tom Sawyer and the murderous Injun Joe, Huck Finn fakes his own death to escape his alcoholic father and with his slave pal Jim, travels down the Mississippi through the Deep South. I tried reading this book many years ago but was never able…
‘For Weeds Will Grow’ by David Six
For Weeds Will Grow After thirteen-year-old Danny Noble and his best pal find a body in a storm culvert, some pretty weird stuff starts to happen in the young lad’s life. Maybe seeing a corpse has messed with his head, but Danny knows normal kids don’t see things that aren’t there, and the stuff he’s…
‘The Dark Half’ by Stephen King
The Dark Half When novelist Thad Beaumont dreams up pseudonym George Stark, he allows a different side of his imagination to emerge and, weirdly, the books ‘Stark’ writes turn out to be way more successful than Thad’s usual fare. However, when the writer decides to get rid of his other half, things don’t go to…
On Not Writing
If you’ve read any of my posts about writer’s block, you’ll know I don’t believe in such things, but it isn’t only the lack of inspiration that can get in the way of creativity. A few months back, my father was taken into hospital and I drove down to my native Northumberland to see him.…
‘The Man Who Hunted Himself’ by Lex Lander
The Man Who Hunted Himself Former Secret Service operative, André Warner, faces a challenge of a different kind when he’s offered a contract by an American racketeer. Trouble is, the job is to kill the assassin who knocked-off the gangster’s own brother. While Andre might have few qualms about taking out a fellow hitman, the…
David Smith – Guest Blog
My Inspirations for Letters to Strabo Behind every great love is an epic story waiting to be told. My first idea for Letters to Strabo came from the memory of a trip I made twenty years ago to Olana, the amazing Catskills home of the painter Frederic Edwin Church. It was a truly stunning experience.…
‘Lolita’ by Vladimir Nabokov
Lolita Oddly named intellectual and romantic, Humbert Humbert, falls in love with Dolores Haze, his landlady’s twelve-year-old daughter. To linger in close proximity to the child, he decides to marry her mother, despite several misgivings. The partnership, naturally, does not go as planned for the hopeful lover, and Humbert begins dreaming up ways of ending…
Colin Garrow 